THE CLIENT
The World Bank Group
THE CHALLENGE
Lebanon’s agri-food value chains faced weak market linkages, low MSME competitiveness, and declining job creation amid a fragile economic context. Small firms struggled to access high-value markets, upgrade capabilities, and integrate into resilient supply chains, particularly limiting opportunities for women, youth, and refugees. Hence, a value-chain-driven intervention was needed to strengthen private sector linkages, scale MSME growth, and generate sustainable and inclusive employment.
THE SERVICE
The project combined strategic value chain diagnostics with direct firm-level support in the olive oil and table grapes sectors. It identified competitiveness gaps and market opportunities, selected and supported MSMEs through tailored capacity-building and business development services, strengthened supply chain linkages through anchor firms, and facilitated coordination with intermediary organizations and ecosystem stakeholders.
- Markets analysis and access assessment
- Company support and capacity building (Project development, Supplier development programs, entrepreneurship)
- Export promotion & buyer-seller linkages
- Opportunity mapping & strategic prioritization
- Value chain diagnostics & competitiveness analysis
- Gender Equality & Social Inclusion (GESI) analysis
- Primary data collection, database creation & market intelligence surveys
RESULTS
The project delivered comprehensive diagnostics of two priority value chains, identifying key bottlenecks, high-value market segments, and upgrading opportunities. It supported 100 MSMEs through targeted capacity building, business linkages, and job-creation initiatives, strengthening both forward export connections and local supply chains. The initiative enhanced firm competitiveness, improved market access, and established a scalable value-chain-based model for sustainable growth. By reinforcing private sector linkages and supporting ecosystem actors, the project laid the foundation for long-term employment generation, targeting the creation of 2,000 sustainable jobs, particularly for women, youth, and refugees.
